Shops closed not for hartal, but for...

Hartals have become a regular phenomenon nowadays, thanks to BNP-Jamaat! But the general people rarely observe hartal as those calling hartals are not present on the streets. Dhaka shopkeepers are enjoying almost a normal life, keeping their shops wide open and selling their commodities as usual. However, one morning this week I went to the local bazaar and was surprised to see that all the shops were closed. I thought that some BNP-Jamaat activists might get active suddenly and the shopkeepers were worried about that. I found a shop slightly open. I approached that shop and came to know from the shopkeeper that they kept their shops closed because they feared that some pro-ruling party activists would come and force them to join the anti hartal procession! What an irony!

Sarker Javed Iqbal
Mirpur, Dhaka